Accessibility

Most people using this site are older, or are helping someone who is. That shaped how it was built. Bigger text, bigger buttons, and nothing that depends on a steady hand or sharp eyesight.

What we've done

This site is built towards the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 Level AA. In practice that means:

A larger base text size than most websites use, with generous line spacing
Text and background colours checked for contrast
Large buttons and links that are easy to tap or click
Everything reachable by keyboard, with a clearly visible focus outline
A "skip to main content" link as the first item on every page
Proper headings and landmarks so screen readers can navigate the page
Form labels that stay visible, with errors listed in a summary at the top of the form
Descriptive alt text on images, and no important text baked into pictures
No auto-playing video, no moving carousels, no flashing content
Animation switched off automatically if your device is set to reduce motion

Making the text bigger

You can enlarge everything on this site using your browser or device, the layout is built to reflow rather than break. On most computers, hold Ctrl (or Cmd on a Mac) and press +. On a phone or tablet, increase the text size in your device's display or accessibility settings.

Where we know there's more to do

We'd rather be honest about this than claim full compliance:

A full independent accessibility audit and assistive-technology testing has not yet been carried out
Some photography is still to be supplied; alt text will be written for each image as it's added
The site is currently in English only. See below if you'd prefer another language

If something is hard to use

Please tell us. If a page is difficult to read, a form is hard to complete, or something doesn't work with the assistive technology you use, we want to know. It's a fault on our side, not yours.

If you can't use this website at all, that's not a barrier to getting support from us. Call and we'll do everything by phone.

Need help in another language?

If English isn't your first language, or you're helping a family member who prefers to communicate in another language, let us know, contact our care team and we'll do our best to support you.